]]>Pâté can be baked and served sliced, or it can be soft and spreadable, like chicken liver mousse. My original recipe, created in the 1980s to seduce gourmets who scoffed at the very idea of meatless pâté, was a loaf that included mushrooms, chestnuts, cashews, grated cheese, black bread whirled to crumbs, and more, baked in a long, rectangular pâté mold.

To suit today’s interests in vegan dishes and easy cooking, I decided to do a spreadable pâté made on top of the stove. Sautéed mushrooms look, taste, and even have a texture that is mildly meaty, so I kept them as the base, in a combination of three kinds, including fresh and dried. I added lots of shallots for moisture as well as flavor. Ground walnuts bring the creamy richness essential to pâté while adding good fat instead of the heart-stopping kind. For flavor depth, I included lots of thyme. For a final touch, I added a splash of soy sauce to bring umami, the indefinable fifth flavor that makes everything taste even better.

Walnut Mushroom Pâté

Makes 1 ¾ cups

Ingredients

½ cup chopped walnuts

¼ ounce dried porcini or wild mushrooms

⅓ cup hot tap water

8 ounce crimini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

8 ounce white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

½ cup coarsely chopped shallots

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread walnuts on baking sheet. Stir and toast 5 minutes, until nuts are colored and fragrant. Transfer nuts to plate, cool and set aside.

In small bowl, soak dried mushrooms in water until soft, 20–30 minutes. When soft, squeeze mushrooms until dry, catching liquid in small bowl. Strain liquid through paper coffee filter or fine strainer and set liquid aside. Coarsely chop soaked mushrooms and set aside.

Add walnuts to food processor, and then cooked mushrooms. Pulse until mushroom-walnut mixture is nubbly; do not purée. Turn warm pâté into serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Or season pâté and cool to room temperature, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Garnish with parsley and serve with toast points, crackers, or pita chips.

For this kale recipe we had the privilege of using French butter pears, an heirloom variety from Alhambra Valley Beef & Pears in Walnut Creek, California.

One reason we at Cookin’ the Market love this farm so much is because they practice dry farming methods, which basically means that the farmers don’t water their crops. As a result, the fruits are packed with sugars and aren’t diluted with excess water. Be sure to check out the dry farmed produce options at your local market.

Ingredients

Directions

Tear kale leaves away from stem. Stack leaves on cutting board largest to smallest and roll them up like a burrito. Cut rolled kale into a chiffonade (or finely cut ribbons).

Set kale chiffonade in mixing bowl. Add dash of salt and pepper, and massage kale with hands. (Do this until kale is tender and turns a deeper shade of green.)

Add just enough olive oil to coat greens and a splash of fresh lemon juice.

Dice or slice the pear and disperse pieces among kale leaves. Chop walnuts and sprinkle them in as well. Garnish with parmigiano-reggiano.

Taste. Correct. Serve.

*Chef’s recommendation: If you want to get extra fancy with your garnish you can serve this salad with parmesan-reggiano crisps. Bring a nonstick pan to medium-high heat, then lay thin layers of parmesan-reggiano in pan. When they begin to bubble, peel away with rubber spatula and flip. When bottoms become golden in color (about 30 seconds), remove from pan and let cool. Crumble over kale salad.

Recipe created by Mario Hernandez, program coordinator and market chef for Cookin’ the Market